Building construction



R. Z. HOPKINS.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY1I.1917.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

314w: nfoz wi/tweoo {I D M RALPH Z. HOPKINS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of LetterslPatent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Original application filed February 26, 1914, Serial No. 821,145. Divided and this application filed May To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH Z. HorKINs, a

citizen of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented av new and Improved Building Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of walls and slabs by pouring concrete into permanent molds formed by previously manufactured blocks, preferably of concrete, and consists in the special blocks and connectors used in such construction. It further consists in the details of construction shown, described and pointed out in the claims.

This application is a division of my application for patent on building construction, Serial Number 821,115, filed February 26, 1914.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a floor embodying my invention, the blocks being in position to form molds for floor beams. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the finished floor, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the blocks 1n position to form floor beams that extend in one direction only. 5 is a plan view of a face block shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are side elevations thereof. Fig. 8 is a plan of the upper face block shown in Fig. Fig. 9 is a side view thereof. Fig. 10 is an elevation of a connecting block shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a side view thereof. Fig. 12 is a side view of a modification. Figs. 13 and 1 1- are view showing a preferred manner of reinforcing the blocks at points where they engage one another.

The floor comprises a series of lower face blocks 1, a series of upper face blocks 2, and a series of connecting blocks 3. The blocks 1 are rectangular, the upper surface being provided with the grooves 4 and 5 that are arranged at right angles to each other and each of which has one or more overhanging ribs ortongues 6 which partly close the co responding groove. The blocks 2 are likewise provided with the grooves 8 and 9. Each of the blocks may be reinforced in any suitable manner, for example, by the longitudinal rods 10 and transverse Serial No. 167,882.

rods 11. It will be noted that the blocks 1 are of larger external dimensions than the blocks 2. The connecting blocks 3 are preferably of less length than the distance between opposite pairs of grooves 1, 5, 8 and 9. Vhen the blocks are assembled in the manner shown, spaces are left between the connecting blocks 3 that join adjacent blocks 2 to the opposite face blocks 1. These spaces arepreferably filled with concrete 1 1 which may be reinforced at 15 to form beams at right angles to each other along opposite sides of the blocks 2. The concrete may also be spread over the tops of the blocks 2 as indicated at 16 to form a thick floor. In Fig. 1, the central portion of the upper block 2 comes immediately over the point where four of the lower blocks 1 meet, which will insure the whole floor structure being tied together. The structure shown in Fig. 2 is formed of units which can be assembled before they are placed on the false work.

The connecting blocks 3 may be corrugated on one side at 18 as shown in Fig. 12 to form a bonding surface for the concrete 14.

The floor shown in Fig. 41 differs from that just described merely in the fact that one series of the grooves is omitted in the upper face blocks 19 and the lower face blocks 20. The upper blocks are in this instance brought into end-to-end contact, whereby spaces 70 are formed along two sides only of each block. Upon filling these spaces with concrete (not shown) and providing a proper reinforcing means, a series of parallel floor beams are formed.

As shown in Figs. 13 and 1 1 the ends of the connecting blocks are preferably provided with a metal facing 25 which extends around the end of the block and which may be anchored thereto by means of the inwardly projecting ends 26, whose extremities may be slitted, the alternate slits being bent in opposite directions as indicated at 28. Likewise, the grooves of the facing blocks are preferably reinforced by metal 29 the ends 30 of which are anchored in a similar way.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the details of construction. The embodiments disclosed I regard as merely illustrative, and hence do not wish to be limited otherwise than as indicated by the subjoined claims.

1. A building block comprising a body having a groove and a tongue partly closing said groove, said block being formed'of molded material, said block also having rigid therewith a metal facing for the tongue and groove.

2. A building block comprising a body portion having two opposite faces, one of -which is provided with a groove and a ton ue said ton ue )roectin into and m 7 t: b 7 I partly closing the groove, a metal facing for the tongue and groove and means whereby the metal facing may be secured rigidly to the block.

3. A building block comprising a body portion having two opposite faces, and two opposite ends, one of the faces having a transverse groove therein near one end,

whereby a laterally projecting rib is formed along the edge of this face, a metal facing for the rib, the groove and the end of the Y block and means whereby the metal facing may be secured rigidly to the block.

4. A structure including two blocks of molded non-metallic material having a jointed interlocking connection and thin inter-engaging metal facings for the blocks at the joint, said facings beinganchored in the corresponding blocks and forming permanent parts thereof, the facing of one block conforming closely to the facing of the other throughout the joint.

5. A structure including two blocks of molded non-metallic material having a jointed connection, and thin inter-engaging metal facings for the blocks at the joint, the ends of said facings being bent over into the molded material to form anchoring means for the facin s.

RAiZPH z. HOPKINS. 

